Valve mechanism for pneumatic players.



B. T. TURNEY.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIG PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.26. 1913.

1,1 1 1,778. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. TURNEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PLAYER ACTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC PLAYERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE T. TURNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism for Pneumatic Players, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide certain improvements invalves and the mechanism for operating the same in pneumatic players for pianos or the like.

In valves of the type heretofore generally employed thin disks or sheets of leather or similar yielding flexible material have been used and these have been affected by atmospheric conditions and after a comparatively short period of use have ceased to operate 1 perfectly. The valves have also been constructed of quite a large number of parts. The diaphragms for operating the valves have been so constructed as to work imperfectly after a comparatively short period of use.

The present invention aims to provide a construction of valve and diaphragm and related parts which shall be more durable and shall operate more accurately after continued use and which shall have various other advantages referred to in detail hereinafter. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 is a transverse section through the wind chest of a pneumatic player. Fig. 1 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1, in section. Fig. 2 is a plan of the upper valve seat. Fig. 3 is a plan of the upper valve. Fig. 4:

-is an underside view of the same. Fig. 5

is a section of the lower valve in the opposite position from that shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is shown in connection with an apparatus of the style indicated in my Patent No. 1,028,308 dated June A, 1912. Referring to the construction illustrated the casing A incloses a wind chest 13 in which a vacuum is maintained while a piece is being played; and for each pneumatic there is an outer valve C for closing communication with the atmosphere and an inner valve D for closing communication with the vacuum chamber, the two ports controlled by said valves leading to a passage E which communicates with the pneumatic Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed February 26, 1913.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Serial No. 750,823.

tracker board is open atmospheric pressure is admitted through the passage G to the underside of the diaphragm and the vacuum in the chamber B causes the raising of the valve stem and valves (as in Fig. l); and establishes communication of the vacuum or wind chest with the passage E leading to the pneumatic (as shown by the full line arrow), so as to cause the note to be sounded. When the perforation in the tracker board is closed a vacuum is gradually established, through the bleed hole J, in the passage G and the diaphragm and valves fall. Communication of the passage E with the vacuum is cut oif and the upper valve is opened so as to admit atmospheric pressure to the passage E (as indicated by the dotted arrow) and to the pneumatic, restoring the latter to its inactive position. The invention is shown applied to this type of apparatus, but is applicable to various other types.

The amount of opening of the valves should be very slight. At the same time they should be of yielding material so as to make a good fit upon their seats. Therefore, it has been common to employ thin sheets of leather for the valves. The weight of the valves and the suction on the lower valve D have tended to distort it more or less, and under varying conditions as to humidity the distortion has been considerable so that after a comparatively short period of use the edge of the valve would become bent toward the seat and bent irregularly and the lifting of the stem would not points where the valve strikes its seat and at the same time avoid the difliculty referred to by making the outer edge of the valve stifi enough to resist distortion under ordinary circumstances of use.

The top of the casing A has an opening leading through from the atmosphere to the vacuum chamber B. The upper and largest portion of the opening forms a shoulder K upon which rests the seat member L of the upper valve. This member is provided with a sharp circular rib M constituting the seat itself and adapted to make substantially a line contact with the valve. The central portion of the seat member is a spider'N, having a central opening through which the shaft F is guided.

The intermediate portion of the passage through the top of the casing forms a second shoulder 0 upon which rests a seat member P for the inner valve, this seat member being formed with a circular line seat Q and having a central spider to guide the spindle F, all substantially as for the outer valve seat.

The outer or atmospheric valve, indicated as a whole by the letter C, comprises a facing sheet T of leather which is stifiened at its edge by a strip of vmetal U which is crimped around the edge of the leather and which in fact is the edge of a metal plate ,V by which the leather sheet T is backed. The face plate T and the stiffening plate V have a central opening slightly larger than the valve spindle so as to be freely movable and tiltable thereon. They are fastened to the shaft by means of a yielding backing sheet V of leather which is fastened to the plate V in any suitable way, as for example by means of ears X struck up from the latter and which is fitted closely at the center to the screw thread Y which is formed on this portion of the shaft. The threads Y are of larger diameter than the unt-hreaded portion of the spindle. Thus the fastening disk W of the valve may have an opening punched in it which closely fits the plain portion of the spindle and may be forced over the spindle and into a close engagement with the threads thereof so as to make a substantially air tight fit. This feature is shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 1*, which shows the spindle F and the threads Y in vertical section and the fastening disk WV closely fitting the threads. This construction has several advantages. The valve is mounted with perfect flexibility on the spindle so that the valve may adjust itself to the seat M entirely around the length of the latter. At the same time the opening in the metal plate V does not leave suflicient clearance around the spindle to permit the leather fastening disk W to pass up into such opening. The method of fastening the valve in place is absolutely simple, eliminat ing the shoulders and collars on the valve stem generally found in previous constructions. The valve is accessible from the outside to adjust it. The operator can easily pass a pin or similar instrument down through the opening of the upper valve seat member into engagement with the leather facing of the valve and turn the latter to the right or to the left in order to adjust it on its stem.

The lower valve or vacuum valve designated as a whole by the letter D, is similarly mounted on the threaded portion of the stem and is readily set in its desired position. It is simpler in construct-ion than the upper or atmospheric valve, having a facing sheet Z of leather which at the same time serves to connect it to the valve stem by being screwed directly thereon. (A similar construction may be employed for the upper valve or the construction illustrated for the upper valve may be adopted also for the lower one). It is stifi'ened at the edge as for the upper valve by means of a strip a crimped around the edge of the leather and forming part of the backing sheet 6 of metal which has a central aperture passing freely over the valve stem so as to permit the desired flexibility. In addition to the attachment by means of the crimped edge, the leather is fastened to the metal by means of tongues a bent downward from the plate and piercing the leather and having their ends bent into engagement with the face of the leather. It is particularly important to have this lower or vacuum valve made in the improved style since it is most important that this valve shall give, as nearly as possible, the same opening under all pressures and after repeated operations, for perfection in causing the note to be sounded; and since it is also important that this valve shall retain its flexibility so as to come to a good bearing on its seat and to minimize the loss by leakage into the vacuum chamber B. In this construction the facing member Z of the valve, being held only at its center and at its edge, is free to move yieldingly against its seat Q, as in Fig. 5 when it is subjected to suction on its under face. It seats, therefore, practically as freely and adjusts itself as freely to the sharp seatQ, as if it were perfectly yielding; while at the same time it is so stiffened at the edge and held at the center so as to secure the desired opening and durability. The principal trouble with the old valve has been in picking up the valve quickly and fully from its seat when the spindle has been moved upward. With the construction illustrated the upward movement of the spindle will be communicated immediately to the backing plate I) so as to pick up the valve at once entirely around the seat.

The principal type of diaphragm heretofore used has comprised a sheet fastened atits circular edge to a fixed support and slightly bulging at its center over the opening through which air is admitted or withdrawn to press the diaphragm up or down. When the air is exhausted from under the diaphragm the bulge becomes more or less of a wrinkle and after a comparatively short period of use the diaphragm comes to bear 'eccentrically or irregularly on the button on the end of the valve spindle. Changes in the humidity in the atmosphere also tend to distort the diaphragm and to draw it more or less irregularly along the glued outer edge. These difficulties are avoided or minimized by my improved construction in which the diaphragm comprises two sheets of rubberized fabric or similar flexible material, the first sheet 0 having a central opening f and being glued or otherwise fastened to the supporting part of the casing along a line immediately surrounding the opening f. The second sheet 9 is fastened to the outer edge of the first sheet. When made of rubberized fabric, for example, they may be united by slightly heating and pressing the edges together so that the rubber in the two sheets runs together. The upper sheet 9 carries a washer h of paper or similar comparatively stiff material glued on the sheet 9 and a washer j of felt which is glued on the washer h and is in position to bear against the free lower end of the valve stem F. IVith this construction variations in the humidity of the atmosphere have very little effect because the circle of attachment of the diaphragm to the fixed support is so small. The longer outer edge of the diaphragm is free and can, therefore, expand and contract without strain. The amount of movement of the diaphragm is practically the same under all conditions so that when the parts are being assembled the inner or vacuum valve can be set at a determined point on the stem, and the entire valve mechanism together with the seats arranged on the spindle can be dropped in place through the top of the opening of the casing and there is no necessity for any further adjustment of the inner valve.

Though I have described with particularity of detail certain specific embodiments of this invention, yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the particular embodiments disclosed. Various modifications thereof in detail and in the arrangement and combination of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

What I claim is 1. A valve mechanism of the class described including in combination a. spindle and a pair of valves, said spindle passing through both valves and said valves being flexibly mounted on said spindle, each valve having both faces stiff and unyielding at the edge and having a yielding bearing portion.

2. A valve mechanism of the class described including in combination a valve composed of a sheet of yielding material forming the valve face, a sheet of metal having its edge turned over the edge of said yielding material to stiffen both faces of the lat ter, at the edge a yielding bacln'ng sheet fastened to said metal sheet and a spindle fastened to said backing sheet and passing freely through said metal sheet.

3. A valve mechanism of the class described including in combination a valve composed of a facing sheet of yielding material and a backing sheet of metal having its edge turned over the edge of said facing sheet and having tongues passing through the facing sheet and fastening the same to the backing sheet.

4. A valve mechanism of the class described including in combination a pair of valve seats facing each other and formed with raised ribs to make a line contact, a pair of valves between said seats, each valve having a bearing portion with a face of yielding material and an edge which is stiffened on both faces, and a spindle carrying said valves and havin a separate flexible connection with each of said valves.

5. A valve mechanism of the class described including in combination a valve composed of a sheet of yielding material forming the valve face, a sheet of metal having its edge turned over the edge of said yielding material to stiffen both faces of the latter at the edge and a spindle passing freely through said metal sheet, said valve being flexibly mounted on said spindle.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE T. TURNEY.

Witnesses D. ANTHONY UsINA, LULU STUBENVOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. O.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,111,778, granted September 29, 1914, upon the application of Eugene T. Turney, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Valve Mechanism for Pneumatic Players, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 71-72, after the Word latter strike out the comma; same page, line 72, after the Word edge insert a comma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of November, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL] R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,111,778, granted September 29, 1914, upon the application of Eugene T. Turney, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Valve Mechanism for Pneumatic Players, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 7172, after the Word latter strike out the comma; same page, line 72, after the word edge insert a comma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of November, A. D., 1914.

R. F. WHITEHEAD,

[SEAL] Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

